


Bad Cop

by orphan_account



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Emile is particularly vicious, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Victor is having a bad time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 08:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20793389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Victor gets captured, and finds himself in the worst place he could be when he wakes up.





	Bad Cop

Victor opened his eyes and saw the end of his life.

Illuminated only by a faint light emanating from the ceiling, it stared at him across a grey table. It was utterly silent: no words of condemnation, or even a cruel taunt to get a rise out of him. It merely sat there, silent and still as the grave.

His arms were bound together by a thin, pitch black material connected to the table. A brief spurt of effort confirmed his suspicions: it was useless. He could escape of course, but it would take time. And he knew better than to hope that the behemoth in front of him would give him the opportunity.

Over the years, tucked away in the back of his mind, he'd always understood the possibility of where his choices would lead. He associated with dangerous people and their allies, spent his time running their errands and fighting their enemies, all while a war bigger than any of them could hope to match raged through the galaxy. He had come to see death as an uncertain eventuality rather than a distant, unknowable affair, though he'd always taken care to keep this from his wife.

Yet now that it had come for him, he wished he had told her everything and more.

Then his death was above him.

Victor stilled. Somehow the beast was now standing. It had seemed large before, but now it towered above him, easily obstructing the light with its bulk. Its shoulders seemed to stretch from one side of the room to the other with ease, and something twisted inside him as its head was suddenly cocked to the side.

He hadn't even seen it move.

"It took a lotta time to find you." The voice was deep and even, but he could detect the excitement lurking under the surface.

It leaned forward, dipping towards him until the ghastly skull visage was only inches from his nose. "I gotta say, there's something real funny about fighting through a base of Innie shitheads just to capture one guy. And for what?" An enormous hand clamped around his jaw. "You all look the same to me."

It had gone completely still, the fingers wrapped around his jaw so tightly it was as though he was caught in a hydraulic press. From a distance it might have looked tender. A twisted parody of two lovers captured in marble. And each second he was forced to stare into the scratched amber visor left him certain this was it.

Then it chuckled, and the vice mercifully ceased as it returned to its crouched position. Victor gingerly worked his jaw, silently digesting what it had told him.

His allies were almost certainly dead. The creature- no, the Spartan's voice had held no indication of a lie. He allowed himself a curse; the presence of a Spartan meant that not only had the UNSC gotten wind of them, but that whoever was in charge had considered him important enough to send one of their most valuable assets after them. And they had been searching for him specifically? How much did they know?

This was bad.

There was only one chance, and as small as it was, he would take it.

"Y- you can't do this," he said hoarsely. "I'm a citizen of Gao. The UNSC has no authority over our affairs."

It was true, in a roundabout way. The UNSC was focused on the war with the Covenant, leaving the remaining outer colonies to themselves for the most part.

His only chance to escape was to stall. Make enough of a stink that they postponed his interrogation, giving him the time to escape. He had acquired the skills of many escape artists over the years, with the right opportunity, there were few places that could hold him.

It was a gamble. But he was out of options.

Then the abomination threw its helmet back and laughed. And Victor felt something inside him shrivel and die.

"Oh, that's a good one. Your rights." The Spartan's amusement bounced between the walls, pressing down on Victor like a smothering blanket.

"You don't have any rights. In fact, nobody even knows you're here." The laughter had abated, and its tone hardened. "Aaron Willis was reported KIA after a series of explosions occurred in a processing plant." The skull slowly tilted to the side, like a child seeing something interesting.

Like watching the ant they'd just stomped on struggle against the inevitable.

"As far as anyone who matters is concerned, you're already dead."

Pain erupted in his cheek as he found himself viciously slammed into the table. He couldn't hide a pained grunt as his aching ribs met its hard edges.

Then an enormous hand was squeezing his skull even harder than before. His vision was beginning to blur, and it took everything he had to keep from screaming.

The world came back into focus, just enough for him to see the tip of a massive knife hovering an inch from his eye.

"But before those reports can be verified, I'm gonna need some info." The voice was so close it could have been whispering and he would have caught every word.

"Tell me more about your friends at Medhall." The blade was only centimeters away now. "And try not to scream too loud. It upsets the wildlife."


End file.
